1st Edition
Supporting Teacher Wellbeing A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers and School Leaders
All teachers are in the unique position of influencing the future happiness and success of the next generation; therefore it is crucial that the wellbeing of teachers is not overlooked. This proactive guide will empower school staff; it will enlighten and equip them with essential knowledge about wellbeing and remind them to never neglect their own health. It encourages a proactive approach to holistic wellbeing and deals with a serious topic in a humorous and lighthearted way.
Structured as an easy-to-read guide, the chapters offer hands-on tips on how and why to support teacher wellbeing and advice on how to manage the increasing demands of planning, assessment and marking. What’s more, it emphasises the importance of sustaining a work-life balance, using mindfulness to relax and gain perspective, healthy eating, incorporating exercise into your schedule and maintaining a sense of calm in the classroom. This book:
- Includes personal stories that encompass the real experiences of early-career teachers, experienced teachers, senior leaders and trainee teachers.
- Delves into important topics such as stress, burnout, work-life balance, anxiety and controlling the mind.
- Highlights how to increase self-esteem, confidence and eradicate perfectionism at work.
- Suggests practical strategies related to workload reduction, peer support and a variety of self-care techniques.
Written by a Primary Education lecturer with over 20 years of experience teaching in primary schools, this book is an essential resource for trainee teachers, early-career teachers, experienced teachers and school leaders alike.
Acknowledgements About the author Introduction Part 1. Understanding wellbeing 1. Why should teachers support their mental health and wellbeing? 2. What do you need to know about wellbeing? Part 2. Strategies for wellbeing 3. Which work-life balance strategies best support wellbeing? 4. What other strategies support teacher wellbeing? Part 3. A personal plan for wellbeing 5. How can you plan for sustained teacher wellbeing? 6. What is my personal plan for wellbeing? References Index
Biography
Suzanne Allies is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester. She has taught in Higher Education for eight years and as a primary teacher for 20 years. Her main passion is to encourage and support the mental health and wellbeing of teachers, trainee teachers, children and adolescents.
'This book provides a practical and reflective tool to support teachers and childcare professionals in evaluating and developing their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Its warm and readable style makes it accessible to those in whatever stage of well-being they find themselves. Peppered with examples from personal experience and professional practice, it offers a range of structures and resources to promote wellbeing within the children's workforce. Most helpfully, it gives us permission to engage with these issues, whatever our role in the education system.' –Professor Richard Woolley, Deputy Head of the School of Education, University of Worcester
'As teachers, we rightly put the needs of each child first, but often neglect our own wellbeing. This book is a fantastic resource for school leaders to use personally, as well as for staff, written by someone who has been there herself. The case study examples resound, and the takeaway messages of each chapter help you reflect on your own practice.' –Spencer Morris, Headteacher of Red Hill C of E Primary School
